Dalvance is a synthetic lipoglycopeptide antibiotic synthesized from a fermentation product of bacteria classified as Nonomuraea species. Lipoglycopeptide antibiotics have a lipophilic side chain that is linked to glycopeptides. Bacteria have cell walls that are made of peptidoglycan. In an event of infection, bacteria rapidly grow and they need cell walls to survive. Antibiotics such as Dalvance kill bacteria by inhibiting cell wall synthesis and preventing cross-linking of peptidoglycan. This causes the cell wall to weaken and kills susceptible bacteria.

The safety and efficacy of Dalvance was analyzed in 2 randomized, double-blind, double-dummy clinical trials of similar design (Trial 1 and Trial 2). There were 1,312 patients enrolled with acute bacterial skin and skin structure infections (ABSSSI). These patients received a two-dose regimen of intravenous Dalvance (1000 mg followed one week later by 500 mg) or intravenous vancomycin (1000 mg or 15 mg/kg every 12 hours, with the option to switch to oral linezolid after 3 days). Treatment duration was for two weeks.